Chafin
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - Actions and comments by West Virginia Supreme Court candidate Tish Chafin's campaign are drawing the attention of critics.
On July 19, Chafin spoke in Martinsburg to the Eastern Panhandle Business Association. During her speech, Chafin touched on the importance of the separation of the three branches of government.
"The Supreme Court, above all, needs to not legislate from the bench and respect all three different branches of government," she said, according to a story in The Journal, Martinsburg's daily newspaper. "That's hugely important for all litigants and business entities that want to come to the state so they can look and see what the law is and know the court is going to follow that law."
That comment drew the ire of the state Republican Party and West Virginia Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, saying Chafin's comments are hypocritical considering that her campaign's attorney filed a lawsuit last week in federal court on behalf of a former state Democratic Party chairman, suing Secretary of State Natalie Tennant and other members of the State Election Commission.
In the suit, Michael Callaghan -- the former chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party - says the matching funds provision of the Supreme Court's public campaign financing pilot program is unconstitutional. The suit was filed by Charleston attorney Anthony Majestro, who happens to be the campaign attorney for Chafin's campaign.
To view the entire article, visit the West Virginia Record.